Robert Albert Enzenroth
Engineers at Rutgers Ave, Fort Collins, CO

6423565, Jul 23, 2002

May 30, 2000

09/583381

Kurt L. Barth - Fort Collins CO 80521
Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO 80525
Walajabad S. Sampath - Fort Collins CO 80525

H01L 2100

438 57, 438 60, 438 95, 136260, 136264

An apparatus and processes for large scale inline manufacturing of CdTe photovoltaic modules in which all steps, including rapid substrate heating, deposition of CdS, deposition of CdTe, CdCl treatment, and ohmic contact formation, are performed within a single vacuum boundary at modest vacuum pressures. A p+ ohmic contact region is formed by subliming a metal salt onto the CdTe layer. A back electrode is formed by way of a low cost spray process, and module scribing is performed by means of abrasive blasting or mechanical brushing through a mask. The vacuum process apparatus facilitates selective heating of substrates and films, exposure of substrates and films to vapor with minimal vapor leakage, deposition of thin films onto a substrate, and stripping thin films from a substrate. A substrate transport apparatus permits the movement of substrates into and out of vacuum during the thin film deposition processes, while preventing the collection of coatings on the substrate transport apparatus itself.

8302554, Nov 6, 2012

Aug 23, 2010

12/861391

Kurt L. Barth - Fort Collins CO, US
Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Walajabad S. Sampath - Fort Collins CO, US

Colorada State University Research Foundation. - Ft. Collins CO

B05C 11/00, B05C 13/00, B05C 13/02, B05C 21/00, C23C 16/00, C23F 1/00, H01L 21/306, B05D 3/00, F26B 7/00

118 69, 118500, 118715, 118716, 118724, 118725, 4273981, 15634527, 15634537, 15634553, 34433, 165 801

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for rapid cooling of a large substrate in a vacuum environment. A first cooled plate is brought into close proximity with one surface of a flat substrate. The spatial volume between the first cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and brought to a higher pressure than the surrounding vacuum level to increase the cooling efficiency. A second cooled plate is brought into close proximity with the opposite surface of the flat substrate. A second spatial volume between the second cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and the gas pressure is equalized to the gas pressure in the first spatial volume. The equalization of the gas pressure on both sides of the flat substrate eliminates deflection of the substrate and bending stress in the substrate.

7803419, Sep 28, 2010

Sep 22, 2006

11/525456

Kurt L. Barth - Fort Collins CO, US
Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Walajabad S. Sampath - Fort Collins CO, US

Abound Solar, Inc. - Loveland CO

C23C 16/52, B05D 3/00

427 8, 4272481, 427331, 427444, 427532, 118724

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for rapid cooling of a large substrate in a vacuum environment. A first cooled plate is brought into close proximity with one surface of a flat substrate. The spatial volume between the first cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and brought to a higher pressure than the surrounding vacuum level to increase the cooling efficiency. A second cooled plate is brought into close proximity with the opposite surface of the flat substrate. A second spatial volume between the second cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and the gas pressure is equalized to the gas pressure in the first spatial volume. The equalization of the gas pressure on both sides of the flat substrate eliminates deflection of the substrate and bending stress in the substrate.

7220321, May 22, 2007

Mar 24, 2004

10/808050

Kurt L. Barth - Ft. Collins CO, US
Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Walajabad S. Sampath - Fort Collins CO, US

C23G 16/00

118729, 117109

An apparatus and processes for large scale inline manufacturing of CdTe photovoltaic modules in which all steps, including rapid substrate heating, deposition of CdS, deposition of CdTe, CdCltreatment, and ohmic contact formation, are performed within a single vacuum boundary at modest vacuum pressures. A p+ ohmic contact region is formed by subliming a metal salt onto the CdTe layer. A back electrode is formed by way of a low cost spray process, and module scribing is performed by means of abrasive blasting or mechanical brushing through a mask. The vacuum process apparatus facilitates selective heating of substrates and films, exposure of substrates and films to vapor with minimal vapor leakage, deposition of thin films onto a substrate, and stripping thin films from a substrate. A substrate transport apparatus permits the movement of substrates into and out of vacuum during the thin film deposition processes, while preventing the collection of coatings on the substrate transport apparatus itself.

2003012, Jul 10, 2003

Jul 22, 2002

10/200265

Kurt Barth - Fort Collins CO, US
Robert Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Walajabad Sampath - Fort Collins CO, US

H01L021/00, H01L021/301, H01L021/46, H01L021/78

438/462000

An apparatus and processes for large scale inline manufacturing of CdTe photovoltaic modules in which all steps, including rapid substrate heating, deposition of CdS, deposition of CdTe, CdCltreatment, and ohmic contact formation, are performed within a single vacuum boundary at modest vacuum pressures. A p+ ohmic contact region is formed by subliming a metal salt onto the CdTe layer. A back electrode is formed by way of a low cost spray process, and module scribing is performed by means of abrasive blasting or mechanical brushing through a mask. The vacuum process apparatus facilitates selective heating of substrates and films, exposure of substrates and films to vapor with minimal vapor leakage, deposition of thin films onto a substrate, and stripping thin films from a substrate. A substrate transport apparatus permits the movement of substrates into and out of vacuum during the thin film deposition processes, while preventing the collection of coatings on the substrate transport apparatus itself.

8557045, Oct 15, 2013

Aug 26, 2008

12/198675

Kurt L. Barth - Fort Collins CO, US
Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Walajabad S. Sampath - Fort Collins CO, US

Colorado State University Research Foundation - Fort Collins CO

C23C 16/00

118726, 118723 HC, 118724, 427592

An apparatus and method for manufacturing thin-film CdS/CdTe photovoltaic modules in a vacuum environment. The apparatus deposits CdS and CdTe layers onto a substrate using heated pocket deposition, a form of physical vapor deposition (PVD) in which a material thermally sublimes from a thermal sublimation source block and is deposited onto a substrate. The thermal sublimation source block includes a pocket having a lower surface into which an array of holes is formed to house plugs of deposition material. Upon heating, deposition material sublimes from a surface of each plug of deposition material, and the surface of each plug regresses into its corresponding hole while maintaining a constant surface area. The sublimation surface area of deposition material across the pocket remains substantially constant during an extended deposition process, and the deposition material is substantially free of undesired thermal radiation from the substrate. As such, the thermal sublimation source block provides a temporally- and spatially-uniform thin film deposition rate across the lower surface of the substrate.

8480805, Jul 9, 2013

Apr 16, 2010

12/762024

Robert A. Enzenroth - Fort Collins CO, US
Joseph D. LoBue - Dale TX, US
Lawrence J. Knipp - Fort Collins CO, US

Colorado State University Research Foundation - Fort Collins CO

C23C 16/00

118726, 118733, 414805

A system and method for movably sealing a vapor deposition source is described. One embodiment includes a system for coating a substrate, the system comprising a deposition chamber; a vapor pocket located within the deposition chamber; and an at least one movable seal, wherein the at least one movable seal is configured to form a first seal with a first portion of a substrate, and wherein the first seal is configured to prevent a vapor from leaking past the first portion of the substrate out of the vapor pocket. In some embodiments, the movable seal may comprise a first flange, wherein the first flange forms a wall of the vapor pocket; and a second flange, wherein the second flange is configured to be movably disposed within a first groove of the source block.